Ottawa Is Having A “No Peace Until Justice” March & Jim Watson Says He'll Be There

Protests continue to take place across both the United States and the world. Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver have had their own, and the Nation’s capital will also see its own protest. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson even said he would be attending.

In a June 2 Twitter thread, Watson announced that he would be attending the city’s “No Peace Until Justice” at the US Embassy on June 5 at 3:00 PM.

He began the thread by saying that he wanted to make some comments about the events taking place in the United States.

"The killing of George Floyd has left many Ottawa residents and Canadians shaken, angry, hurt and disgusted," he wrote,

"And while the death of Mr. Floyd has focused most attention on the United States, we know that as a country, we are not immune to racism, or racist behavior, and we are far from perfect. Racism is present in our midst."

Watson wrote that it is everyone’s responsibility to denounce racism any time they see it, whether it takes place at City Hall, in the community, or at a police station.

"And that includes standing up for our fellow residents of Asian descent who are being subjected to racist and hurtful taunts because of the absurd notion that they somehow bear responsibility for the COVID19 pandemic," he added.

Watson concluded his thread writing, "While I know this is an important event, and I am encouraged by the positivity surrounding this particular gathering, we MUST remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is still present in our community."

"Let’s be safe, and avoid setting ourselves back weeks, or even months."

Watson’s remarks echo those made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 1.

During his daily address, Trudeau said, "As a country, we can’t pretend racism doesn’t exist here. Anti-Black racism is real. Unconscious bias is real. Systemic discrimination is real. And they happen here in Canada."